Does anyone have any thoughts on the new Trek 2017 Crossrip 3? It's listed as an urban commuter. Would it be competitive in gravel events (I'm a newbie)? In Trek's promotional video the guy says it can fit 700x38c. Thanks.
Do you already own this bike? I personally would not buy any bike for gravel use that cannot fit at least a 40c. I did look at the customer reviews at the Trek website and a couple of people say they have run 40c tires. You certainly can be competitive in a gravel event with 38c tires, in fact some of the fastest riders are usually on narrower tires. But for those of us that aren't pros, it makes much more sense to have larger tires.
I don't own it yet. I need a bike as a daily commuter, some weekend touring and want something racey enough to join in on gravel events. I don't want to buy 2 bikes so this seems like a good all-in-one option for me. I'd also like to use it for road events (I might have to switch back to thinner tires for that). I'm not looking to win anything at this point....just keep up with the pack or at least finish lol. It's also the best price-wise I think, available in my country with good components and hydraulic breaks and a solid frame. I wanted to put 40c tires but the largest I saw was the 38c. It's good to know it can fit larger. That adds another plus for me. Thanks for your input ljsmith.
I have a CrossRip Comp that I use for touring and the last few trips have included traversing some pretty rugged gravel roads. I've had no problems with it and found it to be a super comfortable bike. I can't speak to the tire clearance (currently have 32c Gatorskins), but it does look like 40c would be a tight fit.
Yeah it might be too tight, depending. This is the response I received from Trek yesterday..........We spec the bike with 32c tires, but after talking with a few people we feel like 40c tires would fit; depending on the tread pattern and brand. I would recommend measuring the tire and talking with your mechanic before purchasing tires.
My wife has a Trek CrossRip Elite (2014 model). The previous gen CrossRips will take up 700x40c. She's running Stan's Crest 29er wheels with Clement X'Plor MSO 700x40c. This setup works great.
The NEW CrossRips (2017) have a completely redesigned frame however. I don't know if 40c tires will work with the redesigned frame. You should research this issue more. You may want to check on the mtbr.com forums and see if there are any discussions about the "new" CrossRip there.
Did you end up with the Crossrip? I've got one and am also a newbie and looking into what tire/wheelset I can get on the bike for some bikepacking trips. Went with the crossrip because I do a lot of commuting and it was in the budget.
